Refrigerator tray and cover support



April 13, 1965 J. A. WILLIS ETAL REF'RIGERATOR TRAY AND COVER SUPPORT 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1962 WWII INVENTORS JOHN A. h/ILL l5 April1965 J. A. WILLIS ETAL Y 3,178,249

REFRIGERATOR TRAY AND COVER SUPPORT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1962April 13, 1965 J. A. WILLIS ETAL REFRIGERATOR TRAY AND COVER SUPPORT 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 21, 1962 April 13, 1965 J. A. w|| |s ETAL,178, 4

REFRIGERATOR TRAY AND COVER SUPPORT Filed June 21, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4F/qjl.

INVENTORS United States Patent 3,178,2 3 REFRIGERATOR TRAY AND COVEREUPPORT John A. Willis, Moorestown, NJ., and Iber C. Courson,

Glenside, Pa, assignors to Philco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Delaware Filed June 21, 1962, Ser. No. 204,695 4 Claims.(Cl. 312350) The present invention relates to cabinet structure, moreparticularly to cabinet shelf and storage arrangements. While of broaderapplicability the invention is specifically concerned with novel andimproved means for supporting and storing foodstuff in domesticrefrigerator cabinets.

According to prevailing custom, domestic refrigerator cabinets suppliedby manufacturers to dealers for sale to prospective purchasers areequipped with a full complement of storage accessories including suchitems as shelves and food containers commonly known as hydrators orcrisper pans. Generally, the number, size and type of these accessoriesor items are determined by the manufacturers, and the cabinets areconstructed with permanently installed fixtures for supporting saidaccessories or items. This customary practice precludes a prospectivepurchaser from selecting among available storage accessories those whichhe would prefer or which he deems sufficient for his particular need,and it limits a dealer in his ability to satisfy such preferences ordesires.

In the past manufacturers have attempted to minimize these drawbacks byproviding refrigerator cabinets with arrangements designed to allow auser to change the position of shelves and pans with respect to eachother within the storage area of a cabinet. However, these arrangementsstill do not enable a prospective purchaser to select storageaccessories or items in the quantity and of the size and kind which suchpurchaser prefers.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to overcome thedrawbacks noted above and to give to dealers greater latitude incompleting the interior set-up of refrigerator cabinets so as to equipthem with food supporting shelves and storing pans or containers whichmore nearly meet the demands of their customers. Toward realization ofthis general end, the invention provides novel constructionalarrangements for domestic refrigerator cabinets whereby the dealer cancustom-fit the storage facilities interiorly of a cabinet to satisfy thedesire of a prospective purchaser.

Another and more specific object of the invention has to do with theprovision of improved support means adapted to be easily installedwithin the interior of a domestic refrigerator cabinet. In accordancewith this specific objective, the improved support means of theinvention is constructed for combination with any one of a plurality ofdifferent storage accessories selectable from standardized stock, thesupport means and selected accessories being adapted for cooperativeassociation in conformity with a definite plan chosen by the prospectivepurchaser.

The present invention is especially characterized by the fact that thesupport means is obtained through provision of support members which canbe employed indiscriminately either as left hand members or as righthand members. In this manner the invention eliminates the necessity ofproviding sets of dissimilar left and right hand members therebyeffecting significant reduction in manufacturing and assembly costs.

The nature of the invention, as well as its objectives and advantages,will be more fully understood from the following description based onthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a domestic refrigerator cabinet, thedoor of the cabinet being removed to reveal the cabinet interior andshowing elements of a shelf "ice arrangement embodying the principles ofthe present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main member of thearrangement shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the forward end portion ofthe member illustrated in FIG- URE 2, as seen from the top;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating the mentioned end ofthe member as seen from the side presented inwardly of the cabinet;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrating the mentionedend of the member as seen from the side facing outwardly of the cabinet;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail taken substantially online (5-6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 7 to 13, inclusive, are schematic views illustrating varioussupporting and storing arrangements obtainable in accordance with theinvention;

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary view illustrating, in perspective and on anenlarged scale, certain details of the arrangement represented in FIGURE8;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary view illustrating, in perspective and on anenlarged scale, the shelf and pan arrangement represented in FIGURE 10;and

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary view illustrating, in perspective, and on anenlarged scale, certain details of the arrangement represented in FIGURE11.

With more particular reference to the drawings, there is illustrated inFIGURE 1 a domestic refrigerator cabinet 29 of the kind having ahorizontally disposed evaporator 21 which provides an upper freezingcompartment 22 below which inner walls including confronting side walls23 and 23a, bottom wall 24 and back wall 25 define a lower food storagecompartment 26 provided with an open front 26a giving access to saidcompartment. An inner door 27 is provided for closing the freezingcompartment 22. and, as is customary, an outer door (not shown) isemployed to close the open front of the cabinet. Hangers 28 are arrangedfor suspending conventional shelves 23 Within the storage compartment 26and, in accordance with the present invention, combined guide track andsupport rail members identical to the one designated by referencecharacter 30 are provided for supporting food containing means and covermeans therefore, in the manner to be presently described.

In FIGURE 1 only one member St) is shown. However, as the descriptionprogresses it will become evident that at least one other such member isrequired to support an associated food container and its cover. In theillustrated embodiment, each member 3% is in the form of an elongatedmolded plastic bar adapted to be mounted within the storage compartment26 of the refrigerator cabinet 29 to extend in a generally horizontalposition and in parallelism with respect to the inner side walls 23 and23a of said compartment.

In particular accordance with the invention, the trackand-rail members3% and the hanger members 28 are interchangeable and can selectively besupported through utilization of standardized mounting means arranged onthe cabinet inner side walls 23 and 2301. For that purpose standardpiercings, such as those represented at F in FIGURE 1, are provided onsaid side walls at preestablished locations to receive conventionalsecuring elements, for example, sheet-metal screws (not shown) adaptedto pass through either the members 30 or the hangers 28. Thus thesemembers and hangers can be mounted in any given location within thestorage compartment.

As clearly appears in FIGURE 2, the individual member 38 is formed withan elongated channel 3-1 and an elongated ledge .32, the ledge beingdisposed above and in spaced parallelism with respect to the channel. Aweb 33 extends vertically between and is joined to the channel and ledgefor cooperation therewith to provide a recess 53 for the purpose to behereafter described. As seen. in the drawing, each member 38 is ofone-piece construction and terminates with two symmetrically identicalend portions 34. The channel and ledge extend continuously between saidend portions 34. These end portions, one of which is shown on anenlarged scale in FIGURES 3 6, are each provided with a flared guidesection 35 leading into the channel 31, and has a set of three adjacentopenings, namely a first opening 36 which serves primarily to receivefastening elements (not shown) for attaching the member 30 to thecabinet wall, and a second opening 37 and third opening 38 which serveto receive mounting crosspieces in the manner and for the purposes fullydescribed below.

In particular accordance with the present invention, two or more members36 are associated for mutual cooperation in providing variousarrangements of shelves and other storage accessories within the cabinetcompartment 26. Because of, the two symmetrically identical end portions34 of support member 30, the latter can selectively be mounted witheither of said end portions lying adjacent the compartment open front26a. Thus, such members can be employed either as a left or right handsupport in providing the several possible storage accessory arrangementswhich will now be described with particular reference to schematicFIGURES 7-13.

FIGURE 7 represents an arrangement in which a socalled full sizehydrator or crisper pan 4t) and a socalled full-size covering plate 4 1therefor, that is to say a pan and covering plate constructed to spansubstantially the full depth and width of the cabinet compartment 26,are supported in said compartment. In this arrangement :1 pair ofmembers 36 are disposed to confront each other, one member being affixedto the side wall 23 and the other member being aliixed to the other sideWall 23a. In this manner, the channel 31 (FIGURE 2) of each of themembers 36 provide confronting guide tracks in which oppositely directedlateral flanges 42 of the hydrator or crisper pan ii are slidablyseated, and the ledge 32 (FIGURE 2) of each of said members providesupport rails on which marginal edge portions 43 of the covering plate41 are nested so that Said plate overlies the open top of said pan 40.

In FIGURE 8 there is represented an arrangement 111 which two so-calledhalf-size hydrator or crisper pans 44 and two so-called half-sizecovering plates 45,that is to say pans and covering plates eachconstructed to span substantially the full depth of the compartment butto occupy only about half the width of said compartment, are mounted incoplanar side-by-side relation between the side walls 23 and 23a. Inthis arrangement of FIGURE 8, two members 39 are atfixed one on each ofsaid side walls and two additional identical members designated at Sttaand b, are disposed back-to-back and located between said members 30 sothat one of said additional members (the member 36a) faces the member 30on the cabinet wall 23 and the other of said additional members (themember 305) confronts the member 30 on the cabinet wall 23a. Theadditional members 38a and 30b are suspended in their operative positionby means of elongated rods 46, which, as clearly shown in FIGURE 14,pass through openings 37a in said members. These openings 37a arealigned with the aforesaid and identical openings 37 (FIGURE 2) whichare provided in side members 30 and into which the opposite end portionsof said rods 46 extend. In this manner, channels 31 in the mentionedback-to-back members 30a-30b cooperate with the corresponding channelsof side members 30 to provide guide tracks in which oppositely directedlateral flanges 47 of the half-size pans 44 are slidably seated, andledges 32 in said back-to-back members cooperate with the correspondingledges in said side members to provide support rails on which marginaledge portions 43 of the covering plates are nested so that said platesoverlie said pans 44. It will be noted that in an arrangement asillustrated in FIGURES 8 and 14, the covering plates 45 serve tomaintain the back-to-back members 30a in their operative positionbecause the marginal edge portions 48 of said plates bear uponupstanding ridges 49 which rise vertically from the support ledges onwhich said plates 45 are seated.

In FIGURES 9 and 10, there are represented coo erative arrangementswhich comprise only one half-size pan 44 and one half-size coveringplate 45 within the cabinet compartment 26. In each of thesearrangements of FIG- URES 9 and 10, one member 30 is afiixed to sidewall 23 and one member 3811 confronting said member 30 is suspended onsupport means which, as clearly seen in FIG- URE 15, is provided byangularly bent rods 50. These rods pass through aligned openings 38 insaid members 39 and 3011, one end portion of each rod 50 constitut ng asupporting leg 51 which rests on the bottom Wall 24 of the refrigeratorcabinet, the other end portion of each rod constituting a locking finger52 which occupies recess 53 provided in the member 30 on the cabinetside wall 23. Because of this arrangement, the fingers 52 of the supportrods 50 are held captive within said recess 53 (see FIGURE 5) and thusrigidly maintains said rods in their operative position as seen inFIGURE 15.

111 the arrangement of FIGURE 10, provision is further made to support ahalf shelf 54. For that purpose, hangers 28 are mounted in the cabinetside Wall 23:: in the manner hereinabove mentioned and, as seen in FIG-URE 15, similar hangers 28a are secured upon the supported bar member300 to confront said hangers 28 so as to receive lateral projections onsaid half shelf 54.

FIGURES 11, 12 and 13 represent different arrangements in which storagepans, covering plates and shelves are disposed in Several tiers oneabove the other.

In FIGURE 11 the lower tier includes a full size pan 40 and a full sizecovering plate 41 therefor, said pin and plate being supported withinthe cabinet compartment 2-5 by track and rail members 30 mounted on acabinet side wall 23 and 23a in the manner described with reference toFIGURE 7. In FIGURE 12 the lower tier includes two half-size pans 44 andtwo half-size covering plates 45 therefor, said pans 44 and plates 45being mounted within the cabinet compartment 26 by means of track andrail members 39, 30a and 36b in the manner described with reference toFIGURE 8. In FIGURE 13 the lower tier includes a single half shelfoutside pan 44 and half size covering plate 45 therefor, this latter panand its covering plate being supported within the cabinet compartment 26by means of track and rail members 30 and 30a, the member 30a beingsupported by means of bent rod 50, in the manner described withreference to FIGURE 9.

L1 all three arrangements of aforesaid FIGURES 11, 12 and 13, the uppertier comprises a half size pan 44, a half size covering plate 45therefor and a half shelf 54a. As illustrated the half-size pan andcovering plate of the mentioned second tier are removably seated intrack and rail members 39 and 30a. The member 30 is attached to the sidewall 23 of the cabinet, whereas the member 36a is suspended on rodportions 56 which, as clearly appears in FIGURE 16, extend laterallyfrom the half shelf 54a. This half shelf 54a is provided with lateralprojections 55a which are seated in hangers 28 attached to the side Wall23a in the manner described with reference to FIGURES 10 and 15. As seenin FIG- URE 16, the rod projections 56 of said shelf 54:: pass throughthe openings 37 in the member 30a and have offset portions 57 whichserve to locate the member 30a in its operative position where it ismaintained by the covering plate 45 due to the abutting engagementbetween the marginal edge portion 48 of said covering plate with theupstanding ridge 4-9 of said member.

It is particularly to be noted that in each illustrated arrangement,cooperative use is made of the same olements including: members 39,hangers 28, suitable means to receive and support either on the walls 23and 23a, similar hydrators and cover members, shelf members, and thelike.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the presentinvention makes it possible for a prospective purchaser of domesticrefrigerators to select from several available arrangements ofstandardized storage accessories, and for dealers to custom-fit theinterior of refrigerator cabinets to satisfy such selection. Moreover,it will be recognized that, by utilizing the principles of thisinvention, arrangements other than those here given by way of examplemay be obtained, and it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the specific constructions shown and described but embracessuch changes and variations as come within the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

What we claim is:

1. Individual elongated companion members adapted for mountinghorizontally in an open front refrigerator storage compartment tosupport therein a food-storage pan having oppositely directed lateralflanges and a pan cover having opposite marginal edge portions, eachmember being of one-piece construction and comprising a channelextending throughout the length of the member and facing outwardly toone side thereof for engagement with a lateral flange \of the pan, aledge facing upwardly of the member for engagement with a marginal edgeportion of the pan cover and disposed above and in space parallelismwith respect to the channel, a web extending vertically between andjoined to the channel and ledge for cooperation therewith to provide arecess facing out- 6 wardly to the other side of the member, and meansat each end portion of the member providing therein a pair of transverserod-receiving openings, one of said openings communicating with theaforesaid recess.

2. Individual elongated companion members as set forth in claim 1, inwhich the end portions of each member are symmetrically identical sothat the member can selectively be mounted in the mentioned compartmentwith either end portions lying adjacent the open front of therefrigerator cabinet.

3. Individually elongated companion members as set forth in claim 1, inwhich each of the end portions of each member includes a flared sectionleading into the mentioned channel for access thereto through either ofsaid end portions.

4. Individual elongated companion members as set forth in claim 1, inwhich the end portions of each member are symmetrically identical sothat the member can selectively be mounted in the mentioned compartmentwith either end portion lying adjacent the open front of therefrigerator cabinet, each of the end portions of each member includinga flared section leading into the mentioned channel for access theretothrough either of said end portions.

Brightman May 6, 1941 Chambers et al. Sept. 21, 1954 FRANK B. SHERRY,Primary Examiner.

1. INDIVIDUAL ELONGATED COMPANION MEMBERS ADAPTED FOR MOUNTINGHORIZONTALLY IN AN OPEN FRONT REFRIGERATOR STORAGE COMPARTMENT TOSUPPORT THEREIN A FOOD-STORAGE PAN HAVING OPPOSITELY DIRECTED LATERALFLANGES AND A PAN COVER HAVING OPPOSITE MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS, EACHMEMBER BEING OF ONE-PIECE CONSTRUCTION AND COMPRISING A CHANNELEXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE MEMBER AND FACING OUTWARDLY TOONE SIDE THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A LATERAL FLANGE OF THE PAN, ALEDGE FACING UPWARDLY OF THE MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A MARGINAL EDGEPORTION OF THE PAN COVER AND DISPOSED ABOVE AND IN SPACE PARALLELISMWITH RESPECT TO THE CHANNEL, A WEB EXTENDING VERTICALLY BETWEEN ANDJOINED TO THE CHANNEL AND LEDGE FOR COOPERATION THEREWITH TO PROVIDE ARECESS FACING OUTWARDLY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MEMBER, AND MEANS ATEACH END PORTION OF THE MEMBER PROVIDING THEREIN A PAIR OF TRANSVERSEROD-RECEIVING OPENINGS, ONE OF SAID OPENINGS COMMUNICATING WITH THEAFORESAID RECESS.